Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic device, such as a multitrack recorder and a mixer, and more particularly to a technique for grouping faders.
Description of the Related Art
Audio signals of a plurality of channels are input to a multitrack recorder. The thus-input audio signals are recorded in the recorder after having undergone processing, like mixing, while sound volume levels of the respective channels are controlled with faders. In order to increase or decrease a total sound volume of the channels after the sound volume levels of the respective channels have been controlled and balanced, all of the faders of the channels must be operated at the same ratio, so that the operation is difficult.
Therefore, according to a hitherto proposed technique, there is provided a mode for grouping a plurality of faders. When any of the faders in the group is operated, the other faders in the same group are shifted so as to follow the operated fader in accordance with an amount of change. Specifically, when any of the faders in the group is operated, the other faders belonging to the same group are automatically moved in synchronism with the movement by means of a motor, or the like (moving faders).
Grouping of the faders is effective from the viewpoint of ease of operation. Concurrently, it is also necessary to enable a user to easily, visually recognize which faders are grouped. In the case of the moving faders, the grouped faders move in a following manner. Therefore, it is possible to check which faders are grouped from the movements. However, if an anomaly occurs in a moving mechanism, checking will become impossible to perform. Alternatively, in the case of grouping of faders that does not entail movement of the faders, it is impossible to check which faders are grouped from movements.
JP 4123176 B discloses display control means. Specifically, when an operating element assigned to a channel belonging to a certain group is operated, the display control means blinks, in a pattern representing the group, display means corresponding to operating elements assigned to channels belonging to the same group as that to which the channel belongs.
When any of the faders belonging to the certain group is operated, blinking display means of the faders belonging to the group is effective at visually checking which faders are grouped. In the meantime, when any of the faders in the group is operated, the other faders in the same group are also moved unconditionally so as to follow the movement. As a consequence, even when operation of any of the faders in the group is false, there arises a problem of all of the other faders in the same group following the false operation.
In such a case, there is also a conceivable measure to take any of a plurality of grouped faders as a master fader and take the other faders in the group as slave faders. On the occasion of adoption of such a configuration, it is desirable for the user to be able to easily ascertain which fader is a master and which faders are slaves.